Govt forced to release Hema Commission report following High Court order

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the High Court dismissing the plea seeking to halt the release of the Justice Hema Committee report, the state government is forced to release the report on the problems faced by women in the Malayalam film industry.

The report given in person to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on December 31, 2019, contained documents, screenshots and audio clips to substantiate the committee's findings. An important finding made by the committee is that the casting couch is prevalent in the Malayalam film industry. Testimonies of concerned people were also included in the report to substantiate this finding. The committee also recommended the formation of a tribunal to conduct a detailed inquiry into the matter.

However, the state government was hesitant to release the report as it contained the names of many prominent film personalities. As the state government refused to hand over the report even to the State Information Commission, the Information Commission seized the report with the authority of the civil court. After verifying the details, the Information Commission directed the government to release the report by hiding the parts that revealed the personal information of the individuals.